w 1 t n e s s

twenty-six

tyler

I held out my arm for Halle to take. I was ignoring Kirby, who was sitting on the couch. Especially his eyes on my girl. It didn't bothered me as much as it would've earlier. Then again, I still had the memory of Halle whispering my name over and over again racing around my head. As Halle took my arm, I dipped to whisper in her ear.

"I won't be as inclined to tear that off you now." She blushed deeply. We started for the door together. Halle's heels clicked on the hardwood floor. It was almost four, but Tayler and Dylan's apartment wasn't too far away.

In the car, Halle was quiet. It was a comfortable silence, both of us familiar with each other. Compared to the date from a month before, this was more relaxed. I focused loosely on the road, traversing the streets until I reached Dylan's apartment. Halle almost didn't wait for me. I found the cause of her excitement after a moment. There was a squeal from the other side of the car. I hurried around, and was faced with Alex looking lost. Lyndsey and Halle were hugging in between us. Alex moved to stand next to me. His mystified expression made me laugh.

"I didn't know Halle was coming. You didn't say anything." I shrugged.

"Yeah she got here this morning. I guess her and Tayler planned this little party."

"Huh. I was really confused on why Lynds made us dress up nice. At least we're not the only ones." He motioned at my dress shirt and pants. I shrugged.

Halle and Lynds separated, starting to walk into the apartment. Alex and I followed at a distance.

"So you two are good now? She seems happy."

"We're perfect. Or as good as it can get." I grinned, rubbing the back of my neck. Alex looked at me carefully.

"That's good. It's nice to see you happy man."

We traveled up the elevator, Halle and Lyndsey promptly ignoring us to talk about other things. When we reached the right floor, Halle returned her attention to me. She was absolutely glowing, even in the less than ideal lighting of the hallway. Her posture was elegant, yet relaxed. She'd applied fiery lipstick and eyeshadow, and the look was something new and stunning on her. The grayish blue hues on her eyelids, paired with the sleek dress and heels, created a look that was runway worthy. I wondered if Halle knew that she looked like a model right now.

Lyndsey barely had time to press the doorbell on the ornate apartment door when it swung open. Tayler greeted us with a wide smile. She was holding a champagne glass loosely in one hand. She swirled it at the four of us.

"Bonjour, welcome to chez moi!" Her eyes lighted on Halle. She grabbed her hand, pulling her through the doorway. Lyndsey followed. Alex and I were next. My eyes took in the spacious studio-like living room. Somehow, Tayler had completely transformed the space. It was set up with a long table, with eight places set. I found Dylan lounging on the couch to the left, watching Tayler with interested eyes. He stood when he saw Alex and I. I held out a hand to greet him.

"Stromer. Who's all coming?"

"Sup Walty. Merz and Lex are almost here. Kub and Klara should be coming too." I nodded. I hadn't expected there to be that many of us. Halle came to my side, her arm threading through mine. She smiled at Dylan. With a jolt, I realized she'd never met my teammate.

"Hey Dyl. Where's Wrigs?" I gave her a look. Obviously I didn't need to introduce them.

"He's at the neighbor's downstairs. We decided not to force him to stay in the bedroom while we enjoyed the evening out here. He'd whine the entire time." The three of us turned when the doorbell rang again.